My Thoughts During Chaotic and Scary Events

Crazy things happen because we live in a crazy world. Our Universe is a chaotic, irregular and violent place. Biological life is one of the craziest outgrowths of it. Nature is violent and chaotic, and we are products of nature. Upheaval, change and death are the very laws of existence. Everything that comes into existence perishes sooner or later, including the fabric of human society and civilization. It will sooner or later.

Our hurt is real. I don't mean to put down or belittle anyone's pain or dismay at happenings like those on Boston lately (but whose analogues can be seen all around the world on any given day of the week), but what we are watching is the unfolding of the Universal process. We are tiny parts in it and can control almost none of it. It's foolish of us to think that life would be secure, safe and comfortable...especially with the incredibly unbalanced and unsustainable lives we lead.

If anything, our job is to keep our eyes open and witness these things unfold, to stay conscious to the evolution, and to keep giving love. Hatred, panic and violence will be futile and will make everything worse. The only thing to do is live with love, never close your heart or your eyes, and keep other human beings in your heart.

 

I agree with everything you said except the last two statements.I believe that we can reform our current economic and political state of existence.This will most likely come through violence and sometimes, violins as well.We need to raise our voices against the powers that be,who use us as pawns in their agenda to maintain the status quo.

 

Even in doing so, we cannot harden our hearts. If we start closing our hearts and hating our enemies we will make things worse not better.

 

It's not about hate per-se,It is about revolution through mobilizing the masses under one common ideology to overthrow the tyrants and oppressors.It is in my opinion,a very practical method.

 

A very practical method for accomplishing what? If it is done with the wrong orientation of consciousness, that is an ego-orientation rather than an interest in the well-being of others, the popular revolution will be empty. Look at the historical record: Bolshevism did not deliver more rights, freedom, or standard of living to the Russian laborer because it was taken over by selfish interests and became a sort of statist imperialism to rival the corporate imperialism of the West. We haven't yet seen the political development that truly enshrined justice and ensured peace and harmony. Almost all become power grabs by another group or sector in the society.

It's also clear that campaigns waged by violence will produce apparata and institutions in the nascent society that are directed toward militaristic and violent enterprises. The first generation of national heroes and political leaders will be military men: soon violence and oppression are as routine in the new order as they were in the old.

Only love will direct such an uprising in the right direction. Campaigns directed at changing society through mutual recognition and respect rather than through violence will produce more humane institutions in the newborn social order, because its strength and success will be founded on genuine concern for others, rather than on having more guns and being more wily than the other guy.

The "enlightened intelligentsia" or "vanguard class" of Marxism are fictions. People who win their power by violent conquest are merely violent conquerors and will become violent repressive tyrants.

 

From my small and insignificant knowledge on the subject,I do believe what you have said about the communist uprising is true.Nevertheless,I don't believe that armed revolution will render its successors inherently violent and oppressive.Let us take a look at the american revolution for example.America's independence was created by what may seem by today's standard;an insurgency, revolutionary party or terrorism.I have no opinion on that matter, but what I do believe is that; this revolution resulted in a sovereign and prosperous nation.It isn't until greedy entities took control of it trough wealth and power, that the problems in our political system evolve problematically

 

That is disputable – in material terms the standard of living of many in the old USSR went up [in such things as housing for example] and remember life expectancy in Russia fell dramatically after the fall of the communist regime (amongst the less well off at least).

But it is true that ‘revolutions’ can be messy dirty and have detrimental unforeseen consequences (the French revolution resulted in ‘the terror’ and Napoleon dictatorship) but they can also have better outcomes - the American Revolution anyone?

I’ve said many times before that I prefer the route of reform, but that is not always violence free, workers rights have had to be fought for between strikers and employers.

What I see as the great problem at the moment is the power and influence of wealth, this can corrupt political systems and subvert democratic government. I think the challenge is to reduce that power.

 

The British empire,as I like to call it;went on an imperialist rampage on the Muslim caliphate.They had subsequent invasions in Afghanistan.They were ultimately defeated, though encroached an ideological war thereafter(now in a U.S lead conglomerate;ie. NATO)which still continues today.They are losing this as well,as is evident by the Islamist resistance.My point being,if you can come together in Ideological terms, then I believe revolution will become easier.You must of course have an idea of what you want to implement in place of the opposing policies.For this reason I believe that the anarchist philosophy is crude,or I may not understand its tenants well enough.

 

V for vendetta. The marathon bombers were Muslims from Chechnya.

 

Safety and security are illusions. Once you realize that, you are free.

 

what do you mean by that?

 

they can be taken from you, easily.

 

Not only can they, they are certain to be.

 

only death is certain,and an unexamined life is not worth living.The pursuit of happiness is imperative.

 

Nothing real can be caused to be unreal. Disillusionment has always come from a case of misidentification. It is not true that your freedom or right to be can be taken from you although you can certainly be detained of body by other bodies. Our lives are inherited and it is not up to us to decide what our inheritance is and length and breadth of life is always indefinite but the value of it is always equal to our investment in it or type of evaluation we make. The chaotic is by appearances only as we want to definitely demand conditions for ourselves and each other.

Freedom is an idea and the mind naturally abstract so in terms of having freedom only your own thoughts can detain you. My thoughts on events, chaotic, scary, or otherwise is that they do not exist in the way we assume in a space time continuum our lives being sensational in the moment as opposed to eventful or discrete in time. Further our lives will be sensational some sensations we may call pleasant and some sensations not so pleasant regardless our accomplishments, or deeds, in life.

Finally it is counter intuitive to think to protect liberty by embracing statutes that try to inhibit behavior. Let it be, we are secure in real things and fear makes anxiety and suspicion seem reasonable. I don't think reality has any investment in being scary.

 

TwoSix: Agreed. Let's all keep examining. Pursuit of happiness is natural.

Goddammit, TheDope, I wanna rep you so bad right now. Cask-strength truth as usual.

 

During chaos, we strive toward calm and structure. When scared, a level of compassion binds us together. Through it all, we turn to each other. We learn that nothing really matters but to love others, and to be loved.

 

This is what some call "Kali Yuga", or the dark ages.... or some would say this is the transition from Age of Pisces to Age of Aquarius.... something is indeed hitting the fan, change is happening, things are boiling over.